Race & Religion
Three years after George Floyd’s death, faith groups quietly advance racial healing
By Adelle M. Banks — June 9, 2023
(RNS) — A range of Christian groups are working separately to continue to address the often-fraught divisions along racial lines among their members and in the wider society.
John Blake, journalist on religion and race, goes personal with new memoir
By Adelle M. Banks — May 5, 2023
(RNS) — 'We really need to tell these stories about hope,' said Blake. 'There's a lot of Americans now who have given up ... and believe racism is just a permanent part of American life.'
60 years on, King’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ relevant as ever, say faith leaders
By Adelle M. Banks — April 28, 2023
(RNS) — King’s response to white clergy critics endures as a ‘road map’ for those working on justice and equal rights.
How Black clergy are reframing approach on abortion with congregations
By Amethyst Holmes — April 4, 2023
(RNS) — Even as some of the largest Black denominations oppose abortion, Black clergy face the reality that their congregations are disproportionately affected by lack of access to reproductive health services.
Practicing prophetic grief
By Otis Moss III — March 23, 2023
(RNS) — When we grieve pathetically, we may come to imitate our oppressors.
Princeton Theological Seminary students, alumni seek ouster of trustee chair
By Adelle M. Banks — March 21, 2023
(RNS) — ‘The seminary needs a deeper reckoning,’ they wrote, ‘with its current relationship to and investment in modern systems of enslavement.’
From Christchurch to Emanuel AME, we must recognize the patterns of white supremacy
By Danielle N. Boaz — March 20, 2023
(RNS) — Recent reports suggest the attacks on houses of worship are not rare and the perpetrators are seldom acting alone.
‘City of Faith’ exhibit celebrates South Asian religion in NYC
By Kathryn Post — March 16, 2023
NEW YORK (RNS) — A new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York suggests the city can’t be understood without religion.
Young people flourish where faith leaders see color
By Nabil Tueme — March 13, 2023
(RNS) — If you ask young people to leave race at home, you might as well tell them to stay home, too.
Mormons know how the Church sanctioned racial exclusion. That policy has a paper trail.
By Jana Riess — March 10, 2023
(RNS) — Paul Reeve's new book argues the decision to ban Blacks from priesthood and the temple began with Brigham Young but wasn't fully entrenched until the early 1900s under Joseph F. Smith.
White supremacist propaganda scaled new heights in 2022, ADL report finds
By Yonat Shimron — March 9, 2023
(RNS) — The Patriot Front, based in Texas, was responsible for 80% of propaganda distributions in 2022, the ADL report concluded.
Columbus artist’s dreadlocked, tattooed icons offer a fresh take on the saints
By Kathryn Post — March 8, 2023
COLUMBUS, Ohio (RNS) — They were the ‘original social justice warriors,’ says artist Gracie Morbitzer.
Baptist Joint Committee gains faith and justice center, grows religious liberty work
By Adelle M. Banks — March 6, 2023
(RNS) — ‘One of the things that we prioritized in our work was really reimagining religious freedom through the experiences of marginalized communities,’ said Sabrina E. Dent, the center’s president.
Meet the organization preserving and promoting the stories of Black Methodists
By Emily McFarlan Miller — March 1, 2023
(RNS) — After funding from the United Methodist Church General Conference ended and in-person events were put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, the AAMHC is looking for donations in order to continue its work.
For many congregations, wiping out medical debt has become a popular calling
By Yonat Shimron — March 1, 2023
DURHAM, N.C. (RNS) — While donations from religious groups constitute less than 20% of RIP Medical Debt's overall revenue, they are becoming an increasingly common way for congregations to do social justice.
